Because of these extraordinary conditions, Possnig says sometimes she feels like an astronaut living on another planet.

She says the environment is “completely isolated with nothing around us for 600 km (373 miles), [has an] eerie landscape and no way of evacuation, and always the same 13 people, depending on each other for survival.”

For that reason, Concordia Station is an ideal place to study and prepare for future space missions.

Recently, the group had three and a half months of night — and Possnig said she will never forget the experience.

“Walking outside in the total darkness and cold was an adventure every time,” she said. “The night sky was simply beautiful, we have never seen so many stars before, and we really did feel like explorers on a white Mars in these moments.”

“For me, just living here, in this extraordinary environment, is a reward.”